The thrilling story, set in England in the time of Henry IV, of how Myles Falworth advances to knighthood and through 'trial by battle' restores the fallen fortunes of his family. With breathless excitement, the reader follows the adventures of the hero, sympathizing with him in his troubles, fighting in his battles, and rejoicing in his good fortunes. Numerous illustrations by the author add to the attractiveness of the volume. Ages 10-14

299 pages

$12.95

THE REFUGE

[11] FROMTHE time the family escaped from Falworth Castle that midwinter night to the time Myles was sixteen years old he
knew nothing of the great world beyond Crosbey-Dale. A fair was held twice in a twelvemonth at the market-town
of Wisebey, and three times in the seven years old Diccon Bowman took the lad to see the sights at that place.
Beyond these three glimpses of the outer world he lived almost as secluded a life as one of the neighboring
monks of St. Mary's Priory.

Crosbey-Holt, their new home, was different enough from Falworth or Easterbridge Castle, the former baronial
seats of Lord Falworth. It was a long, low, straw-thatched farm-house, once, when the church lands were
divided into two holdings, one of the bailiff's houses. All around were the
[12] fruitful farms of the priory, tilled by well-to-do tenant holders, and rich with fields of waving grain, and
meadow-lands where sheep and cattle grazed in flocks and herds; for in those days the church lands were under
church rule, and were governed by church laws, and there, when war and famine and waste and sloth blighted the
outside world, harvests flourished and were gathered, and sheep were sheared and cows were milked in peace and
quietness.

The Prior of St. Mary's owed much if not all of the church's prosperity to the blind Lord Falworth, and now he
was paying it back with a haven of refuge from the ruin that his former patron had brought upon himself by
giving shelter to Sir John Dale.

I fancy that most boys do not love the grinding of school life—the lessons to be conned, the close
application during study hours. It is not often pleasant to brisk, lively lads to be so cooped up. I wonder
what the boys of to-day would have thought of Myles's training. With him that training was not only of the
mind, but of the body as well, and for seven years it was almost unremitting. "Thou hast thine own way to make
in the world, sirrah," his father said more than once when the boy complained of the grinding hardness
[13] of his life, and to make one's way in those days meant a thousand times more than it does now; it meant not
only a heart to feel and a brain to think, but a hand quick and strong to strike in battle, and a body tough
to endure the wounds and blows in return. And so it was that Myles's body as well as his mind had to be
trained to meet the needs of the dark age in which he lived.

Every morning, winter or summer, rain or shine he tramped away six long miles to the priory school, and in the
evenings his mother taught him French.

Myles, being prejudiced in the school of thought of his day, rebelled not a little at that last branch of his
studies. "Why must I learn that vile tongue?" said he.

"Call it not vile," said the blind old Lord, grimly; "belike, when thou art grown a man, thou'lt have to seek
thy fortune in France land, for England is haply no place for such as be of Falworth blood." And in
after-years, true to his father's prediction, the "vile tongue" served him well.

As for his physical training, that pretty well filled up the hours between his morning studies at the
monastery and his evening studies at home. Then it was that old Diccon Bowman took him in
[14] hand, than whom none could be better fitted to shape his young body to strength and his hands to skill in
arms. The old bowman had served with Lord Falworth's father under the Black Prince both in France and Spain,
and in long years of war had gained a practical knowledge of arms that few could surpass. Besides the use of
the broadsword, the short sword, the quarter-staff, and the cudgel, he taught Myles to shoot so skilfully with
the long-bow and the cross-bow that not a lad in the country-side was his match at the village butts. Attack
and defence with the lance, and throwing the knife and dagger were also part of his training.

Then, in addition to this more regular part of his physical training, Myles was taught in another branch not
so often included in the military education of the day—the art of wrestling. It happened that a fellow
lived in Crosbey village, by name Ralph-the-Smith, who was the greatest wrestler in the country-side, and had
worn the champion belt for three years. Every Sunday afternoon, in fair weather, he came to teach Myles the
art, and being wonderfully adept in bodily feats, he soon grew so quick and active and firm-footed that he
could cast any lad under twenty years of age living within a range of five miles.

"It is main ungentle armscraft that he learneth," said Lord Falworth one day to Prior Edward.
[15] "Saving only the broadsword, the dagger, and the lance, there is but little that a gentleman of his strain may
use. Neth'less, he gaineth quickness and suppleness, and if he hath true blood in his veins he will acquire
knightly arts shrewdly quick when the time cometh to learn them."

But hard and grinding as Myles's life was, it was not entirely without pleasures. There were many boys living
in Crosbey-Dale and the village; yeomen's and farmers' sons, to be sure, but, nevertheless, lads of his own
age, and that, after all, is the main requirement for friendship in boyhood's world. Then there was the river
to bathe in; there were the hills and valleys to roam over, and the wold and woodland, with their wealth of
nuts and birds'-nests and what not of boyhood's treasures.

Once he gained a triumph that for many a day was very sweet under the tongue of his memory. As was said
before, he had been three times to the market-town at fair-time, and upon the last of these occasions he had
fought a bout of quarterstaff with a young fellow of twenty, and had been the conqueror. He was then only a
little over fourteen years old.

Old Diccon, who had gone with him to the fair, had met some cronies of his own, with whom he had sat gossiping
in the ale-booth, leaving Myles for the nonce to shift for himself. By-and-by the
[16] old man had noticed a crowd gathered at one part of the fair-ground, and, snuffing a fight, had gone running,
ale-pot in hand. Then, peering over the shoulders of the crowd, he had seen his young master, stripped to the
waist, fighting like a gladiator with a fellow a head taller than himself. Diccon was about to force his way
through the crowd and drag them asunder, but a second look had showed his practised eye that Myles was not
only holding his own, but was in the way of winning the victory. So he had stood with the others looking on,
withholding himself from any interference and whatever upbraiding might be necessary until the fight had been
brought to a triumphant close. Lord Falworth never heard directly of the redoubtable affair, but old Diccon
was not so silent with the common folk of Crosbey-Dale, and so no doubt the father had some inkling of what
had happened. It was shortly after this notable event that Myles was formally initiated into squirehood. His
father and mother, as was the custom, stood sponsors for him. By them, each bearing a lighted taper, he was
escorted to the altar. It was at St. Mary's Priory, and Prior Edward blessed the sword and girded it to the
lad's side. No one was present but the four, and when the good Prior had given the benediction and had signed
the cross upon his forehead, Myles's
[17] mother stooped and kissed his brow just where the priest's finger had drawn the holy sign. Her eyes brimmed
bright with tears as she did so. Poor lady! perhaps she only then and for the first time realized how big her
fledgling was growing for his nest. Henceforth Myles had the right to wear a sword.

Myles had ended his fifteenth year. He was a bonny lad, with brown face, curling hair, a square, strong chin,
and a pair of merry laughing blue eyes; his shoulders were broad; his chest was thick of girth; his muscles
and thews were as tough as oak.

The day upon which he was sixteen years old, as he came whistling home from the monastery school he was met by
Diccon Bowman.

"Master Myles," said the old man, with a snuffle in his voice—"Master Myles, thy father would see thee
in his chamber, and bade me send thee to him as soon as thou didst come home. Oh, Master Myles, I fear me that
belike thou art going to leave home to-morrow day."

Myles stopped short. "To leave home!" he cried.

"Aye," said old Diccon, "belike thou goest to some grand castle to live there, and be a page there and what
not, and then, haply, a gentleman-at-arms in some great lord's pay."

"Nay," said Diccon, "I am not jesting. But go to thy father, and then thou wilt presently know all. Only this
I do say, that it is like thou leavest us to-morrow day."

And so it was as Diccon had said; Myles was to leave home the very next morning. He found his father and
mother and Prior Edward together, waiting for his coming.

"We three have been talking it over this morning," said his father, "and so think each one that the time hath
come for thee to quit this poor home of ours. An thou stay here ten years longer, thou'lt be no more fit to go
then than now. To-morrow I will give thee a letter to my kinsman, the Earl of Mackworth. He has thriven in
these days and I have fallen away, but time was that he and I were true sworn companions, and plighted
together in friendship never to be sundered. Methinks, as I remember him, he will abide by his plighted troth,
and will give thee his aid to rise in the world. So, as I said, to-morrow morning thou shalt set forth with
Diccon Bowman, and shall go to Castle Devlen, and there deliver this letter which prayeth him to give thee a
place in his household. Thou mayst have this afternoon to thyself to make ready
[19] such things as thou shalt take with thee. And bid me Diccon to take the gray horse to the village and have it
shod."

Prior Edward had been standing looking out of the window. As Lord Falworth ended he turned.

"And, Myles," said he, "thou wilt need some money, so I will give thee as a loan forty shillings, which some
day thou mayst return to me an thou wilt. For this know, Myles, a man cannot do in the world without money.
Thy father hath it ready for thee in the chest, and will give it thee to-morrow ere thou goest."

Lord Falworth had the grim strength of manhood's hard sense to upbear him in sending his son into the world,
but the poor lady mother had nothing of that to uphold her. No doubt it was as hard then as it is now for the
mother to see the nestling thrust from the nest to shift for itself. What tears were shed, what words of love
were spoken to the only man-child, none but the mother and the son ever knew.

The next morning Myles and the old bowman rode away, and no doubt to the boy himself the dark shadows of
leave-taking were lost in the golden light of hope as he rode out into the great world to seek his fortune.

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